Yigo resident Pete Peraja uses an old mop handle to paddle a makeshift raft through a flooded neighborhood off East Gayinero, in the aftermath of Typhoon Mangkhut on Sept. 11. His family remained on the upper floor of their home, shown behind him Tuesday morning. (Photo: Rick Cruz/PDN)

Gov. Eddie Calvo on Tuesday said he is poised to ask President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency for Guam after Typhoon Mangkhut damaged homes, caused widespread power outages, knocked down power poles, flooded some areas, uprooted large trees, and littered villages with typhoon debris.

In Dededo and Yigo, families lost entire houses as the typhoon pounded the island with damaging winds and strong rains from late Monday afternoon to past midnight.

Some Yigo residents had to wade through flooded areas.

Local and federal government agencies, schools and businesses closed. Flights were cancelled or delayed.

Some private schools announced they will reopen Wednesday, but the Guam Department of Education announced late Tuesday afternoon that classes will be canceled.

DODEA schools will be closed Wednesday due to lingering power and air conditioning issues.

Early predictions had Mangkhut developing into a possible category 3 or category 4 typhoon by the time it reached the Marianas, but by 8 p.m. Monday, at its closest point of approach to Guam, Mangkhut was a Category 2 typhoon.

Typhoon force winds were confined near Rota and north of Guam. Guam recorded about 3 inches of rain between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday, and another 5 to 7 inches was expected before sunrise Tuesday.

The island returned to Condition of Readiness 4, or normal conditions, at noon Tuesday.

Calvo's formal request to the president would be made based on the results of preliminary damage assessments on Tuesday, he said. The CNMI, which on Monday asked Trump for a disaster declaration, received the president's approval on Tuesday.

A presidential emergency declaration would mean more federal resources could be sent to Guam and CNMI to help recover from Mangkhut - either direct assistant to affected residents or public assistance to government agencies.

'I lost my home'

In heavily populated northern Guam, which felt the brunt of the typhoon's winds, properties were flooded and homes were damaged.

"I lost my home," Dededo resident Redina Perez, 42, said as she showed the pile of wood and tin that used to be her home and that of her three minor children aged 5, 8 and 14.

When her house came crashing down around midnight, Perez said she wasn't in it but in her blue Nissan Versa car. She said before the weather got worse, her three minor children were brought to their father's house.

“All I want is a roof over my and my kids’ head,” Perez said. She said she wishes she won't have to celebrate her birthday without a home.

Temporary shelters for homeless

Dededo Mayor Melissa Savares said other families have called her office, saying that their homes were damaged by the typhoon.

Angel Sablan, executive director of the Mayors' Council of Guam, said temporary shelters for those whose houses were damaged by the typhoon opened at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Sablan and Savares said these emergency shelters are:

Astumbo Gym in the northern part

Agana Heights Gym in the central part

Agat Gym in the southern part

Sablan said many who will use the temporary shelters are those who sought refuge at shelters before the typhoon hit and found out that their roofs were blown away or their houses were otherwise damaged by the typhoon.

From more than 2,000 as of Monday, the number of emergency shelter residents at schools were down to about 800 as of Tuesday morning. They will be transitioned to one of the three gyms if their homes were damaged and are not inhabitable.

Judy Manibusan, of the Yigo Mayor's Office, said families had asked the office seeking assistance because their homes were knocked down by the typhoon.

They include families living on East Gayinero, the Zero Down area and Route 9, she said.

Lost homes

As of Tuesday afternoon, families were lining up to register at the temporary shelter at the Astumbo Gym after losing their roofs or homes during Mangkhut.

Savares said as of 5:40 p.m., 274 people were at the Astumbo Gym. If the shelter reaches maximum capacity of 300, people will be referred to the Agana Heights Gym, she said.

Maxine Thomas, 34, and her family were among the hundreds at the Astumbo shelter. She said her and her family were camping out at Tanguisson Beach, but went to Wettengel Elementary to take shelter from Mangkhut.

Thomas said after her family returned to their camp grounds majority of their belongings were gone. The family then went to Astumbo at 9 a.m. Tuesday to wait for the shelter to open at 2 p.m.

Isabel Perez of Dededo also sustained damages to her home, she said the sight was "heartbreaking."

"So, when we got there it was kinda heartbreaking. We kinda held it together, but when we looked at our mom. Our mom broke down," said Perez.

Guam at recovery phase

Guam is now at a recovery phase, the governor said. He signed an executive order placing Guam under a state of emergency, which is different from a federal declaration.

Government of Guam agencies are expected to reopen Wednesday, he said.

The reopening of 41 public schools, Calvo said, would depend on how soon the Guam Department of Education could prepare some schools that were used as emergency shelters for more than 2,000 adults and children before, during and after the typhoon made its closest approach.

Four minor injuries and four structure fires were reported due to downed power lines and other typhoon-related matters, officials said.

Although all typhoon watches and warnings were lifted Tuesday morning, emergency managers urged residents to stay off the roads so crews could evaluate the damage caused by Mangkhut.

Agencies were "doing preliminary damage assessments for debris, vegetation, downed power lines and power poles, and other concerns to begin clearing major roadways," the Guam's Joint Information Center stated in a release.

Emergency management stakeholders from GovGuam, military, federal, private, and non-profit organizations will continue to work on recovery efforts from the impact of Mangkhut.

Over 100 FEMA personnel and other federal agencies have been working with GovGuam on typhoon preparedness, response and recovery.

A high surf advisory is also in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan unitil 6 a.m. Wednesday. Hazardous 10 to 14 feet surf was expected along west and south facing reefs of the Marianas through Tuesday night. Surf will gradually diminish but could remain above hazardous levels for a few more days.